What's Causing Your Neck Pain and How To Deal With It
By Paul Rothbart
Aches and pains are a part of life and one of the most common is neck pain. It can make it hard to focus on work or other activities, causing sleeping difficulties, and let's face it, pain is just unpleasant. There are several things that can cause neck pain and being aware of them can help you avoid it. Should it occur, there are ways to treat it and find relief.
Causes of Neck Pain
Here are some causes of neck pain.
Sleeping Poorly - Sleep is how the body refreshes itself and if you don't sleep well or get enough hours, it can cause pain anywhere in your body, including the neck. Poor positioning of the head can also cause neck pain. An ergonomic pillow can be very helpful. You want your head to be in a position where your neck is straight. Most people need 8-9 hours of solid sleep a night.
Being Sedentary - Lack of activity can also contribute to neck pain. The body, including the spine and joints, needs exercise to stay healthy and fully functional. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to tightness that causes pain.
Bad Posture - Slumping, slouching, and overall bad posture can be harmful to the spine. If you work at a computer, having your monitor poorly adjusted height-wise can also put your neck in a bad position and cause pain. Proper posture can eliminate many causes of neck pain.
Treating Neck Pain
Regular exercise and stretching can help relieve neck pain. Rolling the head slowly in circles can loosen up neck muscles and help with the pain. Getting good sleep can help the body repair any kind of damage and reduce pain. A heating pad can also be effective in boosting blood flow and encouraging healing. Rubbing in a muscle treatment cream also works for some people.
A treatment that many people find effective is seeing a chiropractor. An examination will locate any subluxations or other issues in the neck vertebrae. The chiropractor can then make adjustments to fix the problems. Pain can be reduced and the risk of future occurrences made less likely.
The discomfort of neck pain is all too common and detrimental to living a healthy active life. Knowing the causes and how to avoid them are keys to preventing pain. When it comes to treatment, consider a visit to The Joint Chiropractic. No appointment is necessary. You may find that regularly seeing a chiropractor relieves neck pain and helps prevent it from happening again. Chiropractic care can also help the back and joints.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Cedar Falls, Iowa